Machine for cutting moving material into lengths



K. M. CLIPSHAM AND M. B. JACKSON, JIT. MACHINE FOR CUTTING MOVING MATERIAL INT0 LENGTHS.

APPLICAHON FILED IULY 3l. l9l9.

1,347, 6 l 8. Patented July 27, 1920 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

K. M. CLIPSHAM AND M. B. JACKSON,JR.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING MOVING MATERIAL INTO LENGTHS.

APPLICAHON FILED JULY 31.1919.

1,347,618. Patented July 27, 1920.

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

K. IVI. CLIPSHAM AND IVI. B. JACKSON, JR.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING MOVING MATERIAL INTO LENGTHS.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 3|, I9I9.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 3.

MINI

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LEEME-'ETE stares navegar ari lfd. LSHAM AND MAUNSELL B. JACKSON, JR., OF TORONTO, ONTRO CMEBA, SSEGBTRS T0 ERNEST F.

ARNOLD" AND FREDERICK F. ARNOLD,

TBAENG AS REGLE MACHINE CO., 0F TROTO, NTARIO, CANADA.

rane-nina non cnfrrriie raovrive Hemmer. intro Lanterns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July-27, i920.

implication iiled July 31, 1919. Serial No. 314,475.

To all w/Zwm t 'may concern.'

Be it l-nown that we, KENNETH M. CLIP- sHAii and MAUNSELL B. JACKSON, Jr., subjects of the King of Great Britain, and

-residents ef the city of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Moving Material into Lengths, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for cutting into lengths sheets or ribbands and the like while they are in motion, and more particularly to cut a sheet metal band as it is drawn from a reel.

`While practicable mechanismsv of this type have been devised' for the purpose of cutting paper, they have not been satisfactory for shearing sheet metal, and our object is to devise apparatus which is particularly adapted for this purpose, while useful also for lighter materials. `We attain our object by mounting a stationary and movable shear blade on a block movable substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the movable shear blade and parallel to the plane of movement of the material to be cut. Means are provided to move this block, while a cut is being made, in the same direction as the material, at the same speed and below a cam, which is automatically movable to and from a position to be engaged by the movable shear blade so that the/latter is depressed to effect a) cut' as it passes the cam.

Means are also provided to enable the times of movement of said cam to be varied to permit of the material being cut to different lengths as may be desired.

The apparatus is hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichl"igure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a cutting machine constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same, partly in section;

Fig. 3 a side elevation, partly in section;

Fig. 4 an elevation, partly in section, of the shaft carrying the star wheel; and

Fig. 5 an end elevation of part of the machine.

Tn the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

l is the frame of the machine suitably shaped to support the different parts. On this frame is journaled a reel 2 carrying the metal band 3, which is led from the reel over the guide roller 4 and between the feed rollers 5 driven as hereinafter described. These feed rollers carry the band to the cutting mechanism hereinafter described, while portions of the band cut off pass between the feed rollers 6 and 7. The various pairs of feed rollers and the other. moving parts of the machine are driven from the main shaft 8, on which is secured the driving pulley 9.

A pinion 10 on the shaft 8 drives the feed rollers 6 by means of the gear train 17, 18, 11, 12, and 1,3, and the feed rollers 7 by means of the gear train 17, 18, 12,' 14, 15 and 16. The pinion 10 also meshes with the gear wheel 19 secured to the spindle of the lower feed roller 5. The feed rollers are preferably geared together in the. usual manner.

The cutting apparatus is constructed substantially as follows. A block 2O is slidably supported on the frame 1, preferably by being provided with lateral longitudinal ribs 21 sliding in suitable guides on the sides of the frame (see particularly Fig. 2). This block carries the stationary shear blade 22 and also the movable shear blade 23 which slides in suitable guides on the block and is provided with a lug 24, which is engaged by a coil spring 25 set in a suitable recess in the block. This coil spring tends to raise the movable blade.

opening lin-the block over the fixed blade and under the movable blade as shown particularly in Fig. 3. When a cut is to be effected, the block 20 is moving forwardly at the same speed as the traveling metal band 3. This movement is effected by means of a cam 26. which engages the rear end of the block, the block beingl preferably pro- The metal band to be cut passes through a suitable slot or vided with an anti-friction roller 27. This cam 26 is secured tol a shaft provided with the gear wheel 28 which meshes with a gear wheel 29 secured to the shaft 8. The return movement of the block is effected by the spring 47. The block thus continuously reciprocates.

To effect a cut, it is 'necessary while the block is being moved forwardly to depress the movable shear blade. This movement of the shear blade is effected by forcing it below a cam which is stationary in respect to the movable shear blade while ,the block is moving forwardly. Preferably a plurality of cams are employed and they are formed as ratchet teeth 30 on a disk loose on the spindle 31 journaled on the frame of the machine. The upper edge of the shear blade is referably beveled as shown to adapt it or engagement with the ratchet shaped cam teeth.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, the cam teeth being in the position shown in full lines, it is evident that the block may be moved in the direction indicated by arrow without the movable shear blade being'moved relative to `the stationary blade. If, however, the cam teeth be shifted to the position shown in dotted lines, it is evident that the movement of the block 20 in the direction of the arrow will cause the movable shear blade to engage one of the cam teeth, which will depress the movable shear blade and cause it, by coperation with the stationary shear blade, to cut off a portion of the metal band passing between them..

The movements of the disk carrying the ratchet cam teeth are effected as follows: Parallel to the spindley 31 is a spindle 32, preferably movable lengthwise in itsh bear- .ings for a purpose which willbe hereinafter set forth. The spindle 32 carries a star wheel 33, preferably four toothed, adapted to engage the teeth 30 to rotate the disk on which they are carried a distance approximately equal to half of the tooth spacing. On the same spindle is carried a star Wheel 34, also preferably fourtoothed, the teeth lying in the path of projections 35 carried by a sprocket chain 36 carried by a sprocket wheel 37, which is fast on the spindle 31. The spindle is driven by the gear 18 meshing with a pinion 63 on the spindle 31. The chain also passes around the idler 38 carried by the swinging frame 39 pivoted on the lower part of the frame of the machine.

The projections 35 are spaced at suitable intervals, according to the length of the pieces into which it is desired to cut the band 3. Each projection will be formed on a sprocket chain link. These links will be of ordinary construction adapted for engagement with and disengagement .from one anL other.

A dog 40 is provided pivoted on suitable stationary parts and adapted to engage the ratchet cam teeth 30 at half tooth intervals to hold the disk from backward rotation when the teeth are in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and when the teeth are in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The dog 40 is yieldingly held in contact with the ratchet cam teeth by means of a coil spring 41, which at one end fits over a teat on the back of the dog and has its other end fitted into a hole in a portion of the frame. A screw 42 provides means whereby the tension of the spring may be adjusted. Pressure of the dog on the cam teeth prevents accidental displacement of the toothed disk due to momentum or accident.

It has been already shown how the passage of the movable shear blade beneath one of the teeth 30 causes the cutting operation of the movable shear blade as the block moves forwardly in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 3. Immediately after the completion of the cutting operation, the edge of the movable shear-blade 23 passes 90 the edge of the tooth 30 permitting the spring 47 to return the movable shear blade 23 to its upper or normal position. The cam 26 continues the forward movement of the block 20, at a velocity equal to that of the band 3, until the movable shear blade has fully returned to its upper or normal position; thus, the movable shear blade cannot possibly come in contact. with themoving band except when both are traveling at 100 the same velocity and in thesame direction.

The return movement of the block is effected by means of the coil spring 47 which engages the forward end of the block and a stationary abutment 48. As the cam 26 per- 105 mits, this spring moves the block rearwardly and brings the upper edge of the shear blade into contact with the forward side of the ratchet cam tooth under which it has assed, and this causes the toothed disk to 1w e rotated until the teeth assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, in which position they remain until the toothed disk is rotated as hereinbefore described to bring the teeth to the position shown in dotted 115 lines.

As it is desirable that the cutting shall cease when only a predetermined length of the band 3 remains, we provide the following mechanism for automatically prevent- 120 ing the action of the control mechanism for the cutting mechanism. This mechanism is shown particularly in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5.

. A lever 49 is fulcrumed on the frame on the machine.. The end of this lever is 125 bent down and lies over a hole 50 formed in the table of the machine over which the metal band passes from the guide roller 4. The other end of the lever is provided with a projection playing in a notch formed in 1S@ the hub of a catch 51 pivoted on the frame of the machine and engageable by the lower arm of the shifter lever 52 secured to the shaft 62. The catch 51 is yieldingly held in position by the spring 55. The upper arm' 61 of the shifter lever is secured to the shaft 62 and engages in the usual manner a grooved collar 53 secured to the spindle 32, which, as hereinbefore described, is movable endwise in its bearings. A sprin 54 engaging the arm 44 secured to the sha t 62 tends to move the shifter lever to move the spindle 32 to the right, having reference par# ticularly to Fig. 5, thus withdrawing the star wheel 34 from its position in the path of the projection 35 on the chain 36. Under these circumstances thev disk carrying the ratchet cam teeth 30 will not be rotated to bring the teeth in position for coperative engagement with the upper edge of the movable shear blade 23. It is evident that if the lever 49 drops owing to the end of the band of metal to be cut moving past the hole 50, that the catch 51 will be disengaged and the shaft 32 shifted as hereinbefore described.

As it is necessary to separate the feed rollers 5 when a new band is to be placed in position, we make the bearings 56 for the upper feed roller 5 vertically movable in the frame (see Figs. 1 and 3) and provide a coil spring 57 over each bearing tending to press the upper roller toward the lower. The screw 46 threaded through the frame and engaging by means of a washer the upper end of each coil spring, whereby [the tension on the roller may be carried as may be necessary. A lever 59 is fulcrumed on the frame of the machine and is connected with a spindle having arms 60 extending under the ournals of th e upper roller. 5. By actuating this lever 59, the upper feed roller may be lifted whenever necessary. Any convenient means may be provided for operating the lever 59. T prefer, however, to combine means for. operating this lever with manually operable means for returning the shaft 32 to normal position after it has been moved as hereinbefore described.

For this purpose provide the lever 43 fulcrumed at 45 on the frame of the machine. Adjacent its pivot is formed the cam 74 adapted to engage the end of the lever 59, as shown particularly in F1g.3. This lever carries a pin 64 adapted to operate in the inclined slot 65 formed in one arm of a lever 66 of the first order, the other end of which lever is adapted to engage the upper side of the arm 44. When the lever 43 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the upper feed roller 5 is in normal working position and the arm 44 is held down by the engagement of the lower arm of the shifter lever 52 with the catch 51. Supposing, however, that the catch 51 is released as hereinbefore deis preferably providedv scribed, the arm 44 is thrown up and the shaft 32 moved to the inoperative position. To restorethe star wheel shaft 32 to the working position, the lever 43 is drawn to the right to the position shown in' Fig. l, Vcausing the lever 66 to depress the arm 44 which operates the shifter lever 52. The spring 55 allows the lower end of the shifter lever 52 to depress the catch 51 and again engage as shown in Fig. 5. As, however, the catch 51 will drop with the lever 49 when the end of the latter drops into the hole 50, it is necessary to restore the lever ,to its normal position before a new band can be inserted and before the latch 51 can reengage with the shifter lever 52. We therefore connect with the lower end of the lever 43 a pivoted link'67 provided with van upwardly curved end 68 adapted to slide in a recess in the frameV below the lever 49. When the lever 43 is rocked to the right, having reference to Fig. 3, the' projection 68 is drawn under the lever 49 and raises it' to normal position. This enables a new band to be readily drawn under the lever 49 and passed between the feed rollers 5 with the forward feed rollers '6 ready for the reoperation of the machine, the rollers 5 having been separated by the same movement of the lever 43 that returns the lever 49 to\ its normal position. After the new band is inserted, the lever 43 is pushed forward to the position shown in Fig. 3, which is its running position. In Fig. 1 the arm 60 is vpartly shown in full lines in a position corresponding to the position of the lever 43, but the upper roller 5 is shown in a position corresponding to the dotted position of the arms 60.

As it may happen that the shaft 32 is shifted back to normal working position at such time as one of the projectlons 35 is so positioned that it might be engaged by the side of one of the arms of the star wheel 34, we form one side of the grooved collar 53 with a Hange 69 secured to a sliding sleeve 70, which sleeve is normally pushed to the right, (see Fig. 4) by means of a coil spring 71 which will usually be covered by a sleeve 62 abutting a shoulder 73 on the shaft and on which sleeve '72 the sleeve 70 slides. Thus the spring will be compressed if the shifter lever moves the collar 69 to the left at such time as the projection 35 and the star wheel 34 engaged as referred to, and the shaft will .be shifted by. the spring tension so soon as theprojection and star wheel have moved sufiiciently to-clear one another. An jamming or breaking of the mechanism 1s thus prevented.

To (prevent accidental angular displacement of the star wheel shaft 32, we provide a click device comprising a spring pressed ball 7 6 supported in a hole in the frame and adapted to frictionally engage in any one of a series of recesses formedin the collar and suitably spaced to correspond with the arms of the star `wheel 34:.

lWhat we claim as our invention is l. ln apparatus for cutting material into lengths in which the stock is in continuous motion and the cutting means, when cutting travels with and at the same rate of speed as the material to be cut, a block, carrying a stationary shear blade and a movable shear blade, movable parallel to the plane of movement of the material to be cut; means for feeding the stock; means for moving the block in the same direction as the stock and at the same speed for a sufficient length of time for a cut to be made and thereafter returning it to thev initial position; a cam movable to and from a position to operate the movable shear blade as the blade is moved under the cam, and means for holding the cam stationary during the operation of the blade, the blade being adapted for operation by said cam and provided with spring means tending to return it to its normal raised position.

2. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l in which the cam and blade are so arranged that the blade passes the cam during the cutting movement and, on the movement of the block carrying the stationary and movable blades back to its initial position, moves the cam to an inoperative position.

3. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l in which the cam is formed as a rotatable disk provided with ratchet teeth forming a plurality of cam surfaces adapted for coperation with the stationary blade, and a dog adapted tol engage the teeth to prevent backward rotation of the disk.

4f. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l provided with a timing chain moving in synchronism with the material to be cut and adapted to move the cam to operative position ai; pre-determined intervals, and wheels carrying said chain.

5. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l in which the cam is formed as a rotatable disk provided with ratchet teeth forming a plurality of cam surfaces adapted for coperation with the stationary blade, a dog adapted to engage the teeth to prevent backward rotation of the disk, a timing chain moving in synchronism with the stock to be cut, a star wheel, a shaft to which said star wheel is secured,a second star wheel secured to the shaft adapted to engage the teeth of the disk to rotate the disk and to pass by; and lugs on the chain adapted to engage and pass the teeth of the first star wheel.

6. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l in which the cam is formed as a rotatable disk provided with ratchet teeth mamie forming a plurality of cam surfaces adapted for coperation with the stationary blade, a dog adapted to engage the teeth to prevent backward rotation of the disk, 4a timing chain moving in synchronism with the material 'to be out, a star wheel, a shaft to which said star wheel is secured, a second starwheel secured to the shaft adapted to engage the teeth of the disk, to rotate the disk, and to pass by; lugs on the chain adapted to engage and pass the teeth of the first star wheel; spring actuated means for stopping the drive of the star wheel shaft by the chain; a lever and linkage system by which the parts are held in driving relationship having a contact member bearing on the material to be cut, a part over which the material passes having a gap below said contact member, whereby the contact member drops as soon as the end of the material to be cut passes the gap and the spring actuated means thus allowed to stop the drive.

7. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l in which the cam is formed as a rotatable disk provided with -ratchet teeth forming j aplurality o f cam surfaces adapted. for coperation with thev stationary blade, a dog adapted to engage the teeth to prevent backward rotation of the disk, a timing chain moving in synchronism with the material to be cut, a star wheel, a shaft to which said star wheel is secured, a sec-Y ond star wheel secured to the shaft adapted to engage the teeth of the disk to rotate the diskl and to pass by, lugs on the chain adapted to engage and pass the teeth of the rst star wheel; spring actuated means for stopping the driveof the star wheel by the chain; a lever and linkage system by which the parts are held in driving relationship having a contact member bearing on the material to be cut, a part over which the material passes having a gap below said contact member, whereby the contact member' drops as soon as the end of the sheet material to be cut passes the gap and the spring actuated means thus allowed to stop the drive; feed rollers for feeding the uncut material to the cutting mechanism, one of said rollers being vertically movable; and means whereby the said roller may be lifted including a hand lever; and means whereby the hand lever when moved to raise the roller will also raise the contact lever. i

.8. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l in which the cam is formed as a rotatable disk provided with ratchet teeth forming a plurality of cam surfaces adapted for coperation with the stationary blade,a dog adapted to engage the teeth to prevent backward rotation of the disk,l a 'timing chain moving in synchronism with the material to be cut, a star wheel, a shaft to which said star wheel is secured, a second star wheel secured to the shaft adapted to engage the teeth of thel disk to rotate the disk and to pass by; lugs on the chain adapted to engage and pass the teeth of the first star wheel; spring actuated means for stopping the drive of the star wheel by the chain; a lever and linkage system by which the parts are held in driving relationship having a contact member bearing on the material-to be cut, a part over which the materia-l passes having a gap below said contact member, whereby the contact member drops as soon as the end of the sheetmaterial to be cut passes the gap and the spring actuated means thus allowed to stop the drive; feed rollers for feeding the uncut material to the cutting mechanism, one of said rollers being vertically movable; and means whereby the said roller may be lifted including a hand lever; means whereby the hand lever when ymoved to raise the roller will also raise the contact lever; and means whereby the said hand lever when moved as described will restore driving relationship between the chain and the star wheel shaft.

9. Apparatus constructed as set forth in claim l provided with a timing chain moving in synchronism with the material to be cut and adapted to move the cam to operative position at pre-determined intervals; means tending to stop the moving of the cam by the timing chain; and means for conditioning said means, for operation normally held inoperative by contact with the material being fed and tending to operate when the said material passes by.

l0. In apparatus for cutting material into lengths in which the stock is in continuous motion and the cutting means,- when cutting travels with and lat the same rate of .speed as the material to be cut, a block, carrying a stationary shear blade and a movable shear blade, movable parallel to the plane of movement of the material to be cut; means for feeding the stock; means for moving the block in the same direction as the stock and at the same speed for a.v

sulicient length of time for a cut to be made and thereafter returning it to the initial position; a cam movable to yand from a position to operate the movable shear blade as the blade is moved under the same; means for holding the cam stationary during the operation of the blade, the blade being adapted for operation by said cam and provided with spring means tending to return it to its normal raised position; and automatic means for moving the cam to the operative position at predetermined times.

Signed at Toronto, Can., this 30th day of June, 1919.

KENNETH `M. CLIPSHAM. MAUNSELL B. JACKSON, JR. 

